Max Fried’s Yankees 7-0 won’t be possible without Cabrera at third base

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Oswaldo Cabrera’s defensive excellence played a critical role in Max Fried’s flawless outing against the Rays.

Max Fried continued his masterful beginning in Yankees pinstripes Friday night. But the southpaw’s dominance in a 3-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays wasn’t solely about his cunning pitch arsenal or precise command. It was equally about the remarkable defensive wizardry displayed by third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, whose glove work repeatedly preserved Fried’s gem.

Fried, fresh off being named American League Pitcher of the Month for April, welcomed May by extending his excellence with seven shutout frames while surrendering just a single hit. His ERA now stands at a league-leading 1.01 as the Yankees improved to a perfect 7-0 in his starts and 19-13 overall, maintaining their two-game cushion atop the AL East. Yet while Fried’s brilliance commanded attention, it was Cabrera’s defensive acrobatics that repeatedly safeguarded the victory margin.

Fried and Cabrera operated in perfect harmony, and the Yankees capitalized on that rhythm.

Fried puts precision over power

Fried’s approach Friday exemplified craftsmanship rather than overpowering force. He recorded six strikeouts, issued two walks, and generated 10 ground-ball outs—showcasing textbook efficiency. The Rays never managed to advance a runner beyond second base, and Fried carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before José Caballero broke through with a sharp single.

The left-hander wasn’t overwhelming with velocity alone. Instead, he baffled hitters with tactical elusiveness, deploying seven distinct pitches ranging from a 71.1 mph curveball to a 97.4 mph four-seamer. His contact-oriented strategy proved effective because his defense converted opportunities, with Cabrera serving as the cornerstone of that support system.

“The different ways he can beat you,” manager Aaron Boone said. “There were a couple of innings where he was kind of reining in his command a little bit. Some of the innings he’s ripping off some good breaking balls, some of the innings he’s adding and subtracting on his heater.”

Cabrera’s defensive showcase makes it possible

Early on, Fried helped his own cause by picking off Caballero at first base—his third pickoff of the season. But the pivotal momentum shift occurred in the third inning when what might have been a bunt single transformed into an inning-ending double play.

With speedy Chandler Simpson at the plate, Cabrera fielded a sharply hit ball at third, fired accurately to second baseman Jorbit Vivas, triggering a rapid-fire double play against one of baseball’s fastest runners. The execution was flawless and lightning-quick.

In the following inning, Cabrera slid laterally to snare a challenging grounder from Yandy Díaz’s bat before firing to first base, denying him a single. Fried acknowledged the exceptional play with a subtle nod and point—a quiet but meaningful gesture of appreciation.

“When I’m pitching, I’m going to get a lot of ground balls to that left side over there,” Fried said postgame, “and I’ve felt like [Cabrera has] done a really nice job.”

During the fifth inning, Cabrera delivered again. Curtis Mead chopped a ball that bounced awkwardly off the infield grass edge. Cabrera charged forward, fielded it cleanly on the short hop, and completed the out at first with room to spare.

While Fried’s ERA, win total, and strikeout rate will capture headlines, Cabrera’s glove work prevented Friday’s outing from becoming laborious. With each grounder secured and every throw delivered crisply across the diamond, Cabrera elevated a one-hit shutout into a masterclass performance. This wasn’t merely solid defense—it epitomized the kind of fielding that generates momentum throughout the clubhouse and earns trust from pitchers.

This wasn’t merely routine fielding—it was elite-caliber infield play that eliminated potential baserunners and preserved Fried’s masterpiece.

Sixth-inning defensive brilliance

The sixth inning further highlighted the Yankees’ defensive excellence. With a runner aboard, Vivas executed a challenging running catch on a pop-up drifting toward the right-field line, maintaining concentration as the ball swirled in the stadium air. Moments later, Paul Goldschmidt absorbed a scorching 105.5 mph ground ball to his chest at first base but recovered swiftly to beat Díaz to the bag.

Both plays kept Tampa Bay runners off the basepaths and prevented Fried from having to work under duress. The defensive cohesion wasn’t merely clean—it was essential.

Fried’s baffling arsenal

Though Fried didn’t accumulate double-digit strikeouts, he thoroughly confused Rays hitters. Batters struggled to anticipate his approach or timing. His command of tempo—elevating, reducing velocity, then suddenly unleashing a 97 mph fastball—served as his most effective weapon.

Against Jonathan Aranda in the fourth, Fried mixed pitches at 89, 93, 94, 95, and then 79 mph. The final offering—a curveball for a called third strike—left Aranda frozen. Earlier, he showed both 92 and 96 mph to Kameron Meisner within the same at-bat, keeping hitters off-balance through pitch sequencing rather than raw power.

“You never knew how he was going to pitch you,” said Paul Goldschmidt, who provided all three Yankees runs with a fifth-inning homer. “He had six probably above-average pitches. A lot of times pitchers that have six pitches, there’s two of them that are probably dominating and they mix the other ones in.”

Fried stands apart. Every pitch in his arsenal is viable. Every velocity serves as a setup for what follows.

Historic Yankees Beginning

Fried has now posted a 6-0 record across seven starts, with the Yankees winning all seven outings. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this achievement marks the first instance since Richard Dotson in 1988 that the Yankees have won a pitcher’s first seven starts with the organization.

More remarkably, Fried’s 1.01 ERA represents the lowest mark through a pitcher’s initial seven starts in Yankees franchise history.

His excellence in pivotal situations also deserves recognition. In four starts following Yankees losses this season, he’s surrendered just one unearned run across 27⅔ innings of work.

Boone characterized Fried as a stopper, explaining that the pitcher gives the team an opportunity to reset after defeats.

With Fried projected for one more start before mid-May, the Yankees are embracing a rare luxury: a rotation ace who doesn’t rely on triple-digit velocity to dominate—just seven effective pitches and seven defenders who anticipate what’s coming.

And on nights like Friday, with Oswaldo Cabrera patrolling third base, that formula proves more than sufficient.

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